newlife36

Hello, and thanks for welcoming me to your group. This is my third time in about 8 months to achieve sobriety. Today was my third day, and I'm quickly approaching my fourth. I've realized a couple things that draw me back into the drinking world. One, I get super shaky. It lessens as time goes by, but still seems to remain. It usually is at it's worse in the first five to ten days. Then comes and goes, and is the strongest when I attempt certain tasks, feel anxiety, or do something like clasp a necklace or a bracelet. Has anyone else experienced this and/or have any advice?

The second is feeling like I no longer have a community or a friend base. I bartend for a living, and most of my friends and coworkers are drinkers. I feel every time I get sober I am alone in the world. I am lucky to have a friend doing the "get sober" trek with me right now, but I know for him it is a temporary thing, and for me I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally I can never drink again.

Thanks again for welcoming me into your family of support.

Zanna

and HI from the UK <--- proves you're no longer 'alone in the world'

You've found a brilliant website - and well done on 3 days

Z.

newlife36

Thank you, Z. I'm happy to have found it.

Zanna

It's a little quiet at this time of day, but give it a few hours and you'll have trouble keeping up with all the posts

newlife36

Thank you again.

Delilah1

Welcome to SR, and congratulations getting through the first few days! You will find lots of support on here. As for the shaking, I used to notice my hands shaking in the mornings, and if I held my hand straight out it would tremble a little, it stopped doing that after a month or so, and occasionally I will still just stick my hand out happy to see no shaking going on.

Do you have a plan in mind to help support your recovery?

newlife36

Thanks, Delilah!

I will be happy for the day the shaking and trembling goes away, I just have that fear sometimes that it never will, you know? Congratulations on your sobriety as well!

I honestly have not really formed an actual plan. I've toyed around with some ideas, but I haven't acted on anything yet. Do you have any advice for me?

Dee74

There's a ton of support and good ideas here - welcome newlife

D

HilltownPete

I have bad, bad shakes.
hand and head tremors run in my family, one of the reasons the phenomenon is called familial tremors. they are also known as intentional tremors, because when you intend to do something delicate with your hands, such as thread a needle, they get shakier. I've had them for at least 30 years, from before drinking was an issue for me. the baseline state is a slight tremor and is manageable, although annoying.

Drinking alleviates the shaking completely, as long as I'm drinking. once the alcohol is out of the system, the shakes come back with a vengeance. Then I convince myself I need a drink to calm them down. Except, this time, I need two drinks, and the next day the shakes are even worse, and on and on goes the spiral. the wonderful feeling of not having shaky hands is one of the reasons I drank, but it was a double edged sword.

In my past periods of sobriety of a year or two, the mild shaking never went away, but the violent shakes gradually dissipated.

One of the things I have to accept is that I will always have mild tremors. You should brace yourself that you may have to do the same. they are annoying, but nowhere near as annoying as being an alcoholic.

there are things you can do. there are prescription drugs which will alleviate the shakes (one of the side effects can be diminished ability of the little soldier to salute, so I refuse to go that route). Short term, it may be an option. Also, stay away from caffeine. Get all the potassium you can - bananas, fruit, milk are great sources.

August252015

Welcome! A few things-
Yes, the shakes happened to me too. I was VERY sick when I quit drinking in Feb and had extreme PAWS. Shakes, cramps in my legs, mild seizure-like feelings, the gamut; it went away. The key is not drinking again as that will just set you back.

Now sounds like a perfect time for AA. What's the plan for you, today? At the beginning, just not drinking is key, then (quickly) you need to have the start of support and a plan to stay sober and keep not drinking.

I too work in a restaurant. I spent the first five months of my sobriety (after 5wks, when I was strong enough to work) in the "safe" environment of Chick-Fil-A. I went back to my server job 2 months ago (I am going on 8 mo sober); it was the best decision I could have made. I laid out my recovery for the VP/owner/my GM; I find that being a sober person who has no problem being around alcohol gives a whole new light to alcoholism v recovery and that a restaurant is a GOOD place to be, for ME. I know I am also not alone in dealing with recovery, addiction (my own or others) or being someone who doesn't drink. I hope you can find that, too, as you keep NOT drinking.

Good luck. Stick around here, and start an IRL plan! It really is so much better on this side.

PurpleKnight

Welcome to the Forum Newlife!!